489. The Early Development of the United States and Chinese Civilization

In 2008 when teaching in St. Johns University as an adjunct professor, Dr. Dave Wang made the exhibition on his research project, The Early Development of the United States and Chinese Civilization at the University faculty forum.

By 2008, Dr. Dave Wang has published some academic papers in the field at home and abroad, including “Benjamin Franklin and the Great Wall of China,” “Benjamin Franklin and Chinese Civilization,” and “Benjamin Franklin and China: A Survey of Benjamin Franklin’s Efforts at Drawing Positive Elements from Chinese Civilization during the Formative Age of the United States.” Dr. Dave Wang published his first research in 2006. It was two years only, however, his pioneering research has won him international repute. Several of his English papers have been translated into international languages such as Italian and Chinese. Dr. Wang was also invited to give lectures and speeches, in the titles, such as Benjamin Franklin and Confucius Moral Philosophy, and The Founding Fathers of the United States and Chinese Civilization in some other countries, including China, Italy and Portugal.

488. An Exhibition of Franklin's Efforts at Drawing Positive Elements from Chinese Civilization

A lot of history in the study of the United States founders and China was found in March 2017. I just found out the poster: Benjamin Franklin and China: An Exhibition of Franklin’s Efforts at Drawing Positive Elements from Chinese Civilization during the Formative Age of the United States.
It was conducted when Dr. Dave Wang served as the Manager of Queens Library at Hollis from 2004 to 2011.

Through Dr. Dave Wang's consistent examination for over 10 years, it is clear that principal American founders, including Benjamin Franklin realized that it was of significance for American colonists to learn from Chinese civilization in order to build North America a flourishing society. In order to apply positive elements of Chinese civilization to solve social, economic and technological issues in North America, Franklin spent his time and energy to study and spread Chinese civilization in North America around the founding of the United States.  His efforts made great contributions to the formation of American civilization. Dr. Dave Wang's exhibition told its audience, with copies of the original documents given by friends from various museums and libraries. The display also included some prints from The Franklin's Paper, such as Franklin's correspondences, diaries and chapters from Franklin autobiography. Through the exhibition, a visitor should have basic conception on how Franklin tried to use Confucian moral principles to cultivate his own virtue, and how he applied Chinese technologies to improve the life quality of the residents in North America. No doubt, this exhibition has opened a new window to examine Benjamin Franklin, who had "the most eminent mind that that has ever existed in America."

487. Academic Series: Benjamin Franklin and Confucius Moral Philosophy 2007

Unbelievable I found the poster of Dr. Dave Wang's public lecture given when he taught at St. Johns University in 2007. Time is flying. About ten years ago, the University presented students and faculty a series of public lectures. Dr. Dave Wang's lecture, Benjamin Franklin and Confucius' Moral Philosophy, was selected as one of the series. I remember that the big classroom was full occupied by students and faculty members from various colleges and departments.  Below is the poster through which you can find the introduction to Dr. Wang's lecture.

486. 华人学者研究中国传统文化影响美国开国元勋

今天，美国华裔教授专家网转载了有《美国侨报》China Press 记者管黎明撰写的关于王小良(Dave Wang)博士 研究成果的报道，现全文转载如下；

 今年是纽约皇后区图书馆 Laurelton 分馆馆长、圣约翰大学(st. Johns University) 兼职教授王小良博士首次发布自己的研究成果“美国开国元勋与中国”十周年 —— 十年前他设立了自己的英文博客，并通过中英文期刊发表了一系列有关论述中国古代文化对美国开国元勋产生深刻影响的论文。如今，他的研究成果正进入中美两国的大学校园，成为许多学者引用的学术资料，包括被北京外国语大学的教授采用作为研究生教材，而他本人也不断收到来自全美各地的邀请，请他在相关的学术会议上演讲。

 

中华文明对美国的影响是王小良开辟的一个崭新学术领域。此前，美国学者虽然认识到中国文化和陶瓷、丝绸等商品在北美殖民地的存在，但却远没有意识到这其中的广泛性和深刻程度，尤其是中国的哲学思想和中美商品贸易对美国的建国之父们的影响。王小良经过多年的研究，深入发掘华盛顿、富兰克林、杰斐逊等领导人早期的演讲和学说资料，经过严谨地对比与核实，最终发表多篇论文，让中美两国的学者和民众首次认识到中国文化在北美殖民地时期和美国建国初期所扮演的独特角色，以及两三百年前中美经贸往来对北美社会经济发展所具有的重要意义。

　　夏威夷大学的著名汉学家唐格理（Kirll O. Thompson）对王小良的研究极为推崇。他在最近撰文高度评价王小良关于孔子对美国文化形成的影响的研究。他表示，许多研究17和18世纪西方历史的学者都将眼光局限在西方思想和西方的学术资料，但却漠视来自东方的影响；在这种学术氛围中，王小良博士通过他对美国开国元勋利用中华文明的积极因素建设新国家的研究开辟了全新的研究领域。唐格理表示，在他的几篇论文中，王小良博士已经证明，美洲的殖民者和开国元勋崇尚孔子，主动借鉴孔子的思想和道德观；比如詹姆斯·麦迪逊（James Madison 1751-1836）的家里悬挂着孔子的画像，托马斯·潘恩（Thomas Paine 1737-1809）认为孔子(Confucius)和耶稣基督(Jesus Christ)以及苏格拉底 (Socrat)具有同样的重要地位，本杰明·富兰克林更是印刷宣传册来推广孔子伦理中的许多普世价值理念，托马斯·杰裴逊在他的1801年总统就职演说中也提及孔子的道德原则，甚至在他的个人笔记本里，把孔子在《大学》里推崇的一个中国王子的诗歌选进来。

　　富兰克林曾在宾州建“长城”

　　此外，王小良也遍访美国几位建国之父的生前居所和有关的个人博物馆，发现他们在现实生活中大都热爱来自中国的商品尤其是瓷器，甚至在个人居所的设计上也采用了许多中国的建筑元素，并通过大力推动中美贸易，来摆脱当时的英国对新独立的北美殖民地的经济封锁。富兰克林甚至一度在宾夕法尼亚州中部以中国的长城为模板建造了一段小小的城墙，企图以此来抵御某些印第安部落的侵袭。

　　王小良多年来通过挖掘翔实的史料，从崭新的历史角度证明了中华文明对美国早期发展的积极影响。经过多年的不懈努力，他的关于美国开国元勋与中华文明的研究成果在世界范围内产生广泛影响。来自德国的著名美国研究专家阿尔弗雷德·赫农（Afred Hornung）在他的中美关系课上专门介绍王小良的文章《美国开国元勋与中国：中国文化对美国影响的缘起》（The US Founders and China：The Origins of Chinese Cultural Influence on the United States）；波士顿大学的教授麦克·克赖尔（Michael St. Clair）在他的新著《中国艺术大转移：大量的中国艺术品是如何来到美国的》（The Great Chinese Art Transfer —— How So Much of China's Art Came to America）中专门引用了小良的论文。

　　王小良表示，近来他的研究也受到国内学术界许多学者同行的关注，令他非常高兴。目前北京外语大学正在将他的论文翻成中文，包括《孔子与美国建国 —— 美国开国元勋以儒家道德哲学建立新美德的努力》（CONFUCIUSIN THE AMERICAN FOUNDING： THEFOUNDERS’ EFFORTS TO USE CONFUCIAN MORAL PHILOSOPHY IN THEIR ENDEAVOR TO CREATENEW VIRTUE FOR THE NEW NATION）等文章。另外，他的英文博客阅读量最近也突破了20万人次，读者来自世界各地，令他非常欣慰。

　　来自中国吉林的王小良早在80年代末便在西雅图的华盛顿大学作访问学者，后来于1993到2000年在亚利桑纳大学先后获得硕士和博士学位。他目前担任纽约皇后区图书馆Laurelton分馆馆长，同时也是圣约翰大学的兼职教授.

485. Dr. Dave Wang Interviewed on Chinese Exporting Porcelain

With this post I would like to introduce you Mr. Jeffrey Bingham Mead's introduction to Dr. Dave Wang's interview in March 11, 2016. We know through Dr. Dave Wang's research, Chinese exporting porcelain to North America was more than a common product or a mere commodity. Mr. Mead said that "It was a phenomenon that swept North America like nothing ever before. Porcelain from China was coveted by America's founders and many others. Some were so addicted to their cravings for Chinese porcelain that they went into debt -and paid the consequences. On this past President's Day holiday weekend in the USA you heard me welcome Dr. Dave Wang, a noted international authority originally from China who has researched, lectured and published on the ties between the American Founders and Chinese civilization. I met Dr. Wang in Chinatown, Flushing Queens in New York City to hear his findings about the impact of Chinese Export Porcelain on Americans and Europeans. I asked him to share his thoughts on the March 11 show. Here they are! Dr. Wang is the managing librarian of the Laurelton Library in Queens, New York City and an adjunct professor at St. John's University. We featured our usual explorations on Treasures of China, immerse ourselves in timeless Chinese wisdom on the Confucius Moment and more! I shared some announcements, happenings and events -and my impressions of the Asian food courts in Flushing Queens! I felt like I was back in Asia! Mark your calendar for the next broadcast on Saturday, March 18 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern USA Time/ 11:30 p.m. Beijing Time on 1490 WGCH and anywhere via streaming audio on WGCH.com. "